Talks Between Two Survivors
by ThatGuy845
Summary: From waking up the morning after Cait met the Sole Survivor. A fireside talk with each other about their pasts. Cait revealing how she's felt the past years before meeting her new companion and possibly looking to move on. To the same man finally saying goodbye to his own past and pain. This is what you'll find in these short stories of Talks Between Two Survivors.
1. The First Morning of Many

The First Morning of Many

Warmth.

That's all the young redheaded Irishwoman felt, save for the grogginess that came from waking up.

The warmth of a soft sleeping bag. A foreign feeling that she was very unfamiliar with. Much different compared to the cold hard floor of The Combat Zone that she had been so used to for the past three years. Slowly, Cait's eyes flickered opened to the morning light of the post-apocalyptic Commonwealth. They scanned her immediate area, searching for anything hostile that may be approaching her, something she learned to do ever since then, now dead, Raiders had taken over The Combat Zone. Then her memory kicked back in and reminded her of how some random man waltzed in and proceeded to gun down every single one of them like it was nothing.

She remembered how he entered, and upon one of the Raiders noticing him, called out to the rest to kill him. To which he instantly pulled out a pistol and shot the announcer before swiftly jumping into cover to avoid all the incoming gunfire from the others. She remembered how instead of moving and jumping in a sloppy style like most people did in a gun or fist fight, he moved with an actual form. Almost tactically. When he shot, his hits were precise. When he punched or did a counter, they had actual power and fluidity behind them. And once all was said and done. When the smoke from the barrels of the weapons had cleared and all laid dead, save for herself, Tommy and the random man, he began checking over his assault rifle and pistol before his equipment, then himself where he then moved to the two still in the fighting cage.

"Is it over? Well, that could've gone worse." Tommy said with a hint of relief in his voice.

"Heh. I dunno. Seemed quite the performance from where I was standin'." Cait quipped with amusement, causing Tommy to look at her with disbelief as he asked,

"Are you fucking high or something?" He paused for a moment before stating, "Why am I asking, of course you are."

"Still won the fight, didn't I?" The redhead stated with pride in her voice. But Tommy only looked her in the eyes and said with annoyance.

"You're strung out and getting sloppy is what you are." He then looked to the man and continued, "Course, I suppose you ain't got to worry about that now. Seems this one just put us out of business." The man simply raised an eyebrow as Tommy then said, "I don't know if I should kiss you or have my little bird here feed you your own entrails." This in turned caused the man to let out a laugh at the threat as a hint of sudden rage filed his eyes while the "little bird" in question said with annoyance,

"I told you to quite callin' me that!"

"Way I see it, your cliental needed to learn some manners, so I taught them some." The man said, a small smile blooming on his face. "Even if the lesson was taught with a round in their skulls." It was Tommy's turn to have a bit of rage fill his own eyes as he shot back,

"Yes, well your "lessons" just cost us our meal tickets. Keeping those idiots entertained is what kept the lights on!"

"To hell with 'em!" More'll come. Just need a quick breather and I'll be ready to go." Cait said with impatience.

"A breather? What?" Tommy said, turning his attention back to Cait with disbelief once again. "So you can slam more of that junk into your arm? No, no. You know what? I think this was a blessing in disguise." He looked back to the man. "You caught the end of that bout. What'd ya think of Cait's work?" The man glanced at Cait before taking a shrug.

"Really wouldn't know, considering I had to kill the idiots you were keeping entertained when they tried to kill me." He paused for a moment and made a second glance at Cait. "But, from what I did just barely catch, she's got some talent."

"See." The Irishwoman said with pride. "Least someone knows skill when they see it."

"It ain't your fighting skills I'm concerned with." Tommy stated before taking an annoyed sigh before focusing back to the man. "So here's my predicament. I suddenly got no audience. No audience means I got no caps coming in." He looked back to Cait, a harshness in his tone, but also a hint of worry at the end. "And if you ain't brining in caps, little bird, you ain't an asset. You're a liability. To me… and to yourself." He looked back to the man. "So… this is what I'm thinkin'. What say I let you take over her contract? She goes with you, watches your back… look you'd be doin' me a favor while I try to get the place back in order. What do ya say?" Cait's eyes widened in shock as her gazed shot from Tommy to the man.

"Me? And him?" The man returned the gaze and held it before looking back to Tommy, clearly thinking it over in his head as the two kept their eyes locked to each other's.

After a minute or two of contemplation, the man simply gave a shrug.

"Sure. Guess having someone watching my back wouldn't be so bad."

"Good. It's settled then. And here. Take this It's the purse from the last fight. Exterminator's fee." Tommy said as he handed the man the purse full of caps.

"Now just wait a second." Cait suddenly interjected. "What exactly are you gonna do without me here?" Tommy smirked at this as he responded,

"You don't need to worry about me. I'll get this place set up right, maybe find a less bloodsoaked clientele. Now get the hell out of here." He paused for a moment before finishing, harshness back in his voice. "You ain't welcome here, little bird." Cait sneered back at the Ghoul while saying with anger,

"You're a real son of a bitch. You that, Tommy?" Causing him to chuckle as he said,

"You don't have to tell me."

Cait let out a low sigh before looking to the man and said to him while walking past out of the fighting cage,

"I guess you just come find me then when you want to head out." And though she couldn't see it, he nodded to her words before pocketing the caps and following her.

It wasn't until 20 minutes had passed of the man searching the bodies for supplies along with grabbing a few things from The Combat Zone itself that he finally walked up to Cait, who sat in one of the chairs, bored out of her mind and looked down at her and said,

"You ready to go?" She nodded in response, causing him to smile a bit before motioning for her to follow.

The rest of the day had been spent wandering around Boston, getting into the occasional gunfight before finally finding a random building and settling down for the night. It wasn't until food was beginning to cook via a makeshift fire pit near a window so smoke could escape that the two finally took a moment to gather their situation. Both hadn't said an actual word to one another, save for comments like, "Get that cock sucker on the left!" from the man or "Nothin' like a gunfight, am I right?" from Cait. When it was halfway cooked the man was the first to speak,

"So, guess you're my new buddy, huh?" Cait looked up from her knuckles, having been looking them over for signs of new wounds from the day. She smirked at the question and let out a laugh,

"Heh. If that's what you want to call it. Then, yeah. I guess so." The man nodded in response before popping his neck and jaw while leaning back against the apartment wall.

"It's Cait right?" The woman in question gave a nod. "So, is it K A TE or some other strange spelling out here in this apocalyptic wonderland?" Cait let out another laugh, this one more genuine.

"No. C A I T. No harm in askin'." The man snorted as he stared into the flames of the fire. Cait gazed into his eyes for a few moments, searching for any emotions and when she couldn't see any, it was then she noticed just how pale his blue eyes were. His shifted to hers before he raised an eyebrow.

"You good?" The redhead shifted her own green orbs back to her knuckles, looking them over for possible open wounds. This also caught the man's attention as he lifted his head to see for himself. "You get some cuts on your hands?" Cait didn't answer, instead poked at an open wound to test what kind of pain came from it before giving it a light shake and tried to find something else to occupy her time till the food finished cooking.

"Hey," The man said, trying to get her attention. "If your hands are injured let me see them." But when she again didn't respond, he grunted in annoyance while getting up from his seat and kneel down in front of her.

Cait ignored him further, but when he went to reach for her hands, she immediately shot them away from his own as a look like that of an animal trapped in a corner filled her eyes. The man saw this, but kept his gaze locked with hers, not backing down. After a few moments had passed, the man slowly brought his hands back to hers, grasping them gently. He slowly brought them up and examined them before moving to his pack and rummaging through it to grab medical supplies. He then moved back to in front of her, this time sitting down while dousing a small piece of cloth in alcohol. He then gently grasped one of her hands, which had a large gash on her middle knuckle, and gently dabbed at it.

"Ah, shite!" Cait exclaimed, trying to jerk her hand back in pain, but the man's gripped kept it there.

"Stop it!" He suddenly said with a harsh tone, causing her to surprisingly stop as her eyes locked back with his. This time though, she could read his pale blue orbs. Care. An emotion she hadn't seen in a long time. Granted, he had a hardness to his eyes, but it quickly softened as he shifted his gaze back to her hands. "I know it hurts, but it needs to be disinfected. Can't have my new buddy losing a finger. Now can I?" He asked in a sarcastic tone as he resumed dabbing at the cut finger.

By now, the pain had dulled and the young Irishwoman could barely feel the sting that came from the alcohol soaked cloth. It wasn't until he had moved onto the second to last gash that Cait finally said,

"Since we're goin' to be 'buddies', as you put it, what's your name?" The man glanced up at the redhead and smiled a bit before focusing back on cleaning and bandaging the cuts.

"It's Adam." Cait didn't respond. Instead she watched as the man, now revealed as Adam, meticulously mended to her wounds. She couldn't help but notice how well he seemed to do it. Making sure the wound was completely clean. Checking to see that the bandage didn't cut off her circulation, but still had enough pressure to stop any possible bleeding.

"Are you a doctor, Adam?" The blackette in question suddenly let out a laugh as a smile bloomed on his face, looking into her green orbs.

"Me? A doctor? Do I seem like the type of person that mends to bullet wounds and broken bones?"

"I supposed not, considering how well you took care of those Raiders back at The Combat Zone. Seem more like the type that makes 'em." And Cait was correct. After all, she did see him fight. Multiple times now throughout the day.

One example of how well he fought was when a Raider charged at Adam with a machete during one of the gunfights today. He took a swing only for Adam to jump back, dodging the swipe before shooting back in while grabbing the Raider's arm and snapping it at the elbow with a hard hammer fist, then stomping on his knee, followed by giving a hard punch to his face while then using the momentum to lift the man of the ground and bringing his head into his arm and snapping his neck. Immediately thereafter he brought the then lifeless body to its feet and used it as a shield to protect himself from incoming fire and as moveable cover as he shot a few raiders with his pistol. He then noticed a few behind some random rubble being used as cover, and upon seeing the lifeless body had a grenade attached to it, he pulled the pin and rushed to the rubble before throwing the body behind it. He then swiftly rolled into cover behind a ruined car, shielding himself from more gunfire, but also the explosion that soon came after.

"Yeah." Adam let out a little chuckle followed by breathing out a sigh. "No. I'm not a doctor. But a long, _long_ time ago, back in my previous profession, you needed to know how to do things like this if you wanted to keep your buddies alive." Cait raised an eyebrow.

"Why such an emphasize on time. You don't look _that_ old."

"Yeah, well, looks can be deceiving." Adam replied as he began to bandage the last finger. "There. All done. Now we know you won't get an infection." He began packing the medical supplies back up before leaning back against the wall of the apartment in his original seat.

As Adam did so, Cait looked at her now bandaged fingers and stared at them. And with the staring, an odd feeling began to take over her being. She couldn't understand what it was, but she hated it. A strange swelling in her chest along with her stomach feeling like a pit. She glanced at Adam, who now had his eyes fixated on the ceiling with a strange vortex of emotions in his pale blue orbs. She tried to read them, but once again couldn't decipher what they said. The only thing that stopped her from staring at the blackette was the smell of cooked meat filling the air. This, causing both to look at the makeshift fire pit and see the Mutant Hound was finally done.

Both took their respective pieces and ate eagerly, eating their fill with a bottle of Nuka-Cola to wash it down. After finishing said meal, Cait leaned back against the wall and proceeded to stare at the ceiling while allowing the warmth of the fire to wash over her. Every so often she would glance at Adam, only to see him inspecting his assault rifle, followed by his pistol, then checking his supplies before doing something with his Pip-Boy. After what must have been an hour, he began to unbuckle the sleeping bag on his pack and lay it out. Cait watched with a bit of envy as she just now realized she should have gotten one for herself. But Adam must have taken notice to this as when he stood up, he looked to Cait and simply said,

"Shit." He stood for a minute, eyes shifting every so often from side to side. Almost as if he was waiting for something before giving a light shrug. "You can have the sleeping bag. I'll be fine without it. Doesn't seem to be that cold tonight, plus the fire will keep me warm." Cait felt shock fill her being, which Adam must have also took notice to as he let out a little chuckle. "Something wrong?"

"Uh, n-no. Just a bit surprised is all." Adam smirked at the wide green eyes of the Irishwoman before motioning for her to get up.

"Well, come on. Let's get some sleep." He said as he sat back against the wall, just a bit closer to fire so he could get as much warmth as possible before closing his eyes.

Cait stared at the man for a few moments, not really knowing how to react towards the act of kindness before slowly getting up and allowing herself to crawl into the sleeping bag. Immediately she felt even more warmth wash over her being, more than what she was used to. And it was with that she realized just how tired she was. Her eyes became extremely heavy and now found it quite hard to move.

' _Shite, guess that fight took more out of me than I thought…'_ Cait thought to herself as she allowed her eyelids to fall, causing only blackness to be seen. Save for a faint orange glow that came from the fire. And within a minute the young brawler was asleep, her mind having drifted off into some random dream.

And with that, so began Cait's new life as the companion of some random man she barely knew. All because he had to walk into The Combat Zone and some fools tried to kill him.

Slowly, she looked around the apartment again. Her eyes scanning for anything of interest, and it was then she noticed that Adam was gone; along with his pack. _'What the hell?'_ Cait thought. _'Did he just run off or somethin'?!'_ The young redhead began to think of what the chances were that Adam would indeed leave her behind, not even after a full 24 hours of the two becoming "buddies". She glanced down at the sleeping bag. _'If he left, why would he leave this behind? What? As some parting "gift" or some shite?'_ Soon a sense of anger began to fill her being at the thought, and just as she was going to begin tearing it off her, she took notice to the constant sound of a clicking. Her ears perked up as she listened closer she realized it was almost like that of an empty firearm.

Slowly, she got up and walked towards the door that lead to the main room of the apartment and peered outside into it. It was here that she saw a strange sight: that of Adam moving in a tactical manner, just like all he did yesterday when the two of them got into skirmishes. Every few meters Adam would "shoot" a few imaginary rounds at some invisible target before holstering or slinging his weapon and switching to the other that was not in use and proceed to "shoot" it as well. Then whenever he ran out of his imaginary rounds he would reload his weapon in a quick and, Cait had to admit, skillful manner before getting back into whatever fight was going on inside Adam's head.

The young Irishwoman watched this for at least 15 minutes before sitting down, and even then it continued for at least 15 more. _'What an odd sight this is.'_ Cait thought to herself as she continued to keep her gaze locked on the man how continued this ritual for another minute or so before he suddenly stopped, eyes pale blue orbs now locked onto Cait's own green. She took notice to this and gave a slight wave, causing him to do the same back before he gave a slight cough.

"Hey." He began as he straightened up and slung his assault rifle across his back. "You been up long?" Cait smirked at the question as she replied,

"Oh, only about half an hour. Watchin' you doin'… whatever it is you're doin'." A slight blush formed on Adam's tan skin as he rubbed the back of his head in an embarrassed fashion.

"Yeah. Part of my little morning ritual. But like one of the many sayings went in my previous profession: Train how you fight. Fight how you train. After all, how do you think I'm so good at being able to switch between my weapons and reload so fast?" Cait saw the logic in it as she gave a slight nod. She did notice how well he could perform reloads or switch to his secondary on the fly. "I was about finished anyway." Adam said as he walked towards the redhead. "What say we eat then head out?" Cait only nodded before getting up and headed back into the room.

After the two had sat down and chose what they were going to eat, it was Cait this item that initiated the conversation,  
"You mentioned something like a 'morning ritual?' Care if I ask what you mean?" Adam glanced up from his food and smirked.

"No problem. Every morning I check my gear, take account of inventory. Then practice my reloads and movements. Granted, I have to do it with empty magazines, but it's better than not practicing at all. Then, when I'm done I eat before moving on with my day. Usually takes me an hour or so." Cait gave a simple nod to the answer before focusing back on her food.

After finishing their morning meal and packed everything up that the two made their way back onto the streets. With both ready to move out, Adam looked to the redhead and asked,  
"Ready to go?"

"Aye." She answered and was about to get up but stopped when Adam suddenly said,

"Wait. Almost forgot." He sat down next to her and gently took ahold of her hands. Cait, mostly through instinct, almost punched Adam from the sudden contact when she remembered about the bandages on her fingers.

And it wasn't until he had unpacked his medical supplies, made sure her wounds were clean and redressed them in new bandages that he allowed her to get back up.

"Sorry about that." He said with a small smile. "Almost forgot about those." He then lifted his pack back on before holding his hand out to her. " _Now_ are you ready to go?" Cait only stared at the hand, not knowing to react at what just happened. Never had she experienced that. Indeed he helped her last night, but that was only because the wounds were in need of proper attention at the moment. And even then, but the fact that he had just used more medical supplies just to make sure the wound stayed clean? It genuinely baffled the woman.

"Hey? You good?" Adam's words snapped the redhead from her thoughts. Her eyes shifting from his hand to his own blue.

"Y-yeah." She stumbled while taking hold of his hand and getting to her feet.

"Good to know. Let's get moving, then." With that, he turned and began leading the way out of the building and onto the ruined streets of the Commonwealth. The sun shining brightly, with the occasional cloud as the cool morning air blew throughout the city.

And as Cait followed him, she couldn't help but think to herself,  
 _Who the hell have I just made as my partner…?_


	2. Pasts By The Campfire

Pasts By The Campfire

The smell of smoke filled the air as it wisped around, creating strange and distorted images in the night sky. The stars twinkled with a crescent moon that hovered lazily above. The faint orange glow against the hard dirt ground of the Commonwealth. The sound of wood crack and snapping as it slowly burned, brining warmth to the two companions that sat around it. Who, stayed close by going about their own devices. From the man that cleaned his assault rifle and pistol, to the woman that stared at her arm absently, green orbs gazing over the multiple marks that were spread all along it.

It was here that we found these two, both having been on the road now together for a while. Both having already gone through who knows how many quests and fights with one another.

These two companions being that of Adam, the Sole Survivor of Vault 111, and Cait, a survivor in her own right, having gone through the Combat Zone for the past three years. Until now, that is, what with the former now owning the latter's contract. And with that, Cait had become his new companion, once much to her dismay.

But that slowly changed.

At first, Cait expected nothing more than some random lowlife who would treat her like a dog. Yet, that hasn't happened as of now, or ever would it happen from what the redhead could gather. With the weeks the two had been on the road, Adam has treated her with nothing but kindness. The first ever being when he bandaged the wounds on her knuckles the same night they had met. And since then he has always made sure she's been in good health. After every gunfight they're in, instead of checking his gear then himself for injuries like he used to, he would make sure she was safe before checking his gear, then finally himself.

This change starting after Cait had nearly been taken out by a Super Mutant who decided to go kamikaze and try to blow her and itself up. The two companions having decided to try and find Marty Bullfinch where the tracked him down to Fanueil Hall only for a massive amount of the brutish mutations to open fire upon them, seeing as they had made a base camp of the building. But, with the sound of beeping having alerted her to the inevitable explosion, the young redhead had been able to use her shotgun to blow both its kneecaps away; but not before it had gotten in a close enough distance for the explosion to knock her back several yards.

Cait faintly remembered being thrown through the air before slamming hard into the remains of a building; then the sound of Adam yelling something, her name from what she remembered before unleashing a torrent of curses and threats. All of which were of a very colourful nature. Then just before passing out, she remembered watching a blurry Adam charging at one Super Mutant in a blind rage, all of his control gone, and delivered a punch so hard that it actually knocked the mutant of balance before he grasped a nearby piece of rebar and shoved it into its throat. Firing wildly into the Super Mutants that surrounded him, all the while letting out a pure animalistic cry before her vision blacked out entirely.

After an unknown amount of time, which Adam later revealed to be a half hour or so, she awoke, her eyes fluttering open. Vision, blurred at first, slowly focused in to that of her arms draped over themselves. Once her senses had come too, she examined herself to find her injuries had been bandaged and was now laying in one of their sleeping bags. It was then she began to look around, searching for her companion before seeing he was not there, as usual. And when she slow and shakily got to her feet, she realized she was now in a blown out building, one wall leading to a walkway, which lead to the square that the Super Mutants had once held.

Carefully she made her way to the large hole in the wall to look upon the square only to see the bodies of the Super Mutant were now gone, all piled upon the fire that had already been lit. And at the edge, stood that of Adam, staring silently into it.

He was now covered in blood and bits of debris, along with some of his clothing torn. She made her way down to him, wanting to make sure he was alright while making sure not to fall on the massive pile of rubble that lead from the building to the ground. And upon reaching his side, she was about to announce her presence when she took notice the look in Adam's eyes: they were blank, yet somehow dark and foreboding all at the same time. They held no pure emotions like she had gotten used to seeing, save for when they entered combat, and even then, they never looked like they had at that moment.

No, these pale blue eyes she looked into now had nothing but distain, malice, hatred, sadness and a slight hint of insanity. But she could also tell, he was in a strange trance of deep thought. His eyes staring ever so intensely into the fire that held the bodies of both the Super Mutants victims, and the mutants themselves now.

Cait debated whether to try and snap him out of it, she having seen a look before when those who had too many chems became too far gone. But she knew Adam never took them, no. His philosophy on the substances was that one could do whatever it is they wished, so long as it didn't interfere with him. This of course, made her wonder if that included her taking them. She hadn't done it openly in front of him, but surely he had taken notice to the needle marks on her arm…

Then, he spoke, as low and quiet as a whisper yet still audible if one keenly listened,  
"Shaun… Nora…" Cait really didn't know what to make of the names, having just now heard them. Yet the way he spoke, almost as if he had said the words without realizing it.

Finally, after a few more minutes of debate, as well as watching to see if Adam would speak anymore, she careful and gingerly placed her hand upon his shoulder before giving a light squeeze as she said,  
"Adam? Are you alright?" The man in question gave a slight jump, whether it was from the contact or her voice, the redhead could not tell. But in an instant the look in his eyes vanished and the ones she had grown accustomed to reappeared.

He turned and looked, relief joining the usual emotions as he spoke,  
"Cait, you're awake." Slowly he hugged her, squeezing her close. "I was worried you may have a gotten concussion or worse." The words that Adam spoke, along with the action, only brought shock to Cait's green orbs. The sound of genuine concern in his voice brining the emotion full force to the front of her mind.

At first it baffled the Irishwoman, never really knowing the feeling of having someone genuinely making sure she was uninjured after a fight. And even if she had only and barely seen it, the amount of rage that he had unleashed when the Super Mutant had sent her flying, also surprised her. Not knowing that someone would truly care that much for her wellbeing that they would allow such an emotion to overtake them. And even after then, and the first few times after, she always waited for him to stop coming to her aid first. Instead, go back to checking his gear before himself and have her check her own person. But, just like the mistreatment she expected from him towards her, that too never came. No, instead he continually checked on her, making sure any injuries she sustained were healed.

But even so, with all he had done for her, she was still waiting for the eventual betrayal that would come. For the day his sweetness would turn to a bitter sour. After all, why would he be any different from all those previous? What made him so special? This would turn out just like all before him. Cait learned and knew this through experience.

It was only a matter of time…

And so, it is here, sitting by the campfire that we find these two. Again, both going about their own devices before deciding when they would turn in for the night. Adam cleaning his assault rifle and pistol before loading each with fresh magazines. While Cait, sitting with her knees pulled close and staring into the fire, mind having thought back to that moment at Fanueil Hall.

Her green orbs shifted from the small fire to Adam, who now played on his Pip-Boy. She kept her eyes trained on him, taking in all the small details that she had noticed as the time passed by.

He had a scar on the left side of his face, directly on the cheek bone that gave a slight curl after half an inch from the straight starting point. His hair, black and a bit grown in, had a cowlick on the left side; this gave it a strange appearance as the opposite laid flat against his forehead. With his knee-length black leather jacket off, now laying to the side by his pack, and wearing just a tight black polyester shirt, she could easily see the tattoo: A belt of 5mm rounds wrapping around his left arm, starting from the bottom of his wrist and ending at the crook of his elbow. Finally, how Adam kept the end of his digital woodland trousers bloused at the end, stopping just above his heavy khaki combat boots; which she discovered a week earlier when he was taken by surprise when a hidden Raider jumped out at him, housed a small knife kept tied to his ankle, hidden from view.

As she took in all the small details, memorizing them like she had been doing so, she didn't seem to see that Adam had taken notice to the intense stare. It wasn't until a minute later that he cleared his throat, catching the redhead's attention and snapping her from the trance.

"Everything alright there, Cait?" Adam asked with a raised eyebrow. Blinking before a slight blush formed among her features, she shot her eyes back down to the fire.

"A-aye. Was just…" She paused, trying to come up something to say before glancing back at the tattoo and said, "Looking at your tattoo. Couldn't help but become somewhat curious about it." Adam gave a light chuckle with a smile.

"I see." He said before looking back down to his Pip-Boy. He stayed silent for a few moments. The tension, which was already so thick you could cut it with the small knife mentioned earlier, grew even thicker. Finally, he spoke, "Yeah. I remember getting that… a _long_ time ago." Cait cocked her head slightly. Something she still didn't understand was how any time he mentioned the past, he always put a heavy emphasize on time. It struck her quite odd as he only seemed to be in his late twenties to early thirties. "I got it one night after having a few drinks and my buddies convinced me, considering the fact I enjoyed much heavier weapons whenever I could get my hands on them."

"Oh?" Cait said before going silent. She tried to think of something else to say, noticing the tension had slightly lessened. "Care if I ask where your buddies are now?" Adam glanced at her from the Pip-Boy. Again, staying silent for a few moments before answering,

"Oh, they're long gone now." Suddenly, a look of sadness filled his eyes along with that of what seemed like realization. "Yeah… they're long, long gone…" Slowly, Adam lowered the Pip-Boy as he now stared into the fire.

Cait felt the tension lessen, but was soon replaced with an air of eerie and saddening silence. This coming from the man as the same look he had in his eyes back in Fanueil Hall. A look that Cait hated for some reason she could not place.  
"I'm sorry if I brought back any bad memories." She said suddenly, hoping to get Adam back to his usual attitude.

His eyes flickered, stirring back to life as the negative emotions vanished. Looking back up at her, he gave a smile as always.  
"No. You're fine. Just thinking about old times." He let out a laugh. "Yeah, I remember how that night they were constantly telling me to get something that showed I loved the heavier weapons." He stopped as his laughter slowly grew. "In fact, I remember how one told me to get 'The Street Sweeper' with a minigun below the words because of how I would fire them in a sweeping motion." Cait couldn't help but chuckle at the idea as well, imagining what such a design would look like.

"Why not that one, then?"

"Ah, I preferred something more suitable and symbolic. For example: Every so often I would wrap ammo belts around my arm for shits and giggles if we ever went into combat. Granted, I'd unwrap them so my arm didn't get ripped off." Adam gave another laugh at the words, as did Cait before she thought of something else,

"What, were you a mercenary for some time?" Adam gave a confused look before one of realization.

"No, no. I was in an actual military."

"You mean like the Brotherhood of Steel or somethin' along those lines?" Nathan gave a slight shrug.

"Eh. Yeah, I guess you could say that. But it was a while ago." Cait looked at him with a cocked head a second time. Again with the emphasis on time. Why? She looked at the fire, debating on whether or not to ask.

"Adam? It all right if I ask somethin' else?" He looked up at her, his attention had falling to the tattoo for a brief moment.

"Of course. Cait, you can ask me anything at any time." Cait felt herself pause for a moment, surprise stopping her for a moment. _Again with being so damn nice. I know it's how he is, but still…_ She paused her thoughts, momentarily thinking back of how her life had been before shaking her head and the thoughts away.

"Why is it you're always putting so much emphasize on time when you mention it? You don't look that old." The question caught Adam slightly off guard, this visible by the widened eyes before a knowing smile formed.

"Yeah. I guess I do that a lot, huh? Ah well." He looked up into the sky, eyes gazing over the stars that hanged in the sky alongside the crescent moon. A look of slight sadness formed, Cait guessing from him thinking of his friends or just the past in general as he looked from the sky back to the tattoo. He then locked eyes with her, an intense look burning within his pale blue orbs. So intense, that it took Cait a bit not to break the gaze. "I'll just say it, I'm over 200 years old." Silence was all that followed, both companions staring each other down as the words sunk in.

Under normal circumstances, if it was any other person, Cait would have burst out laughing. But the intensity within Adam's eyes stopped her from doing so. No, she could tell that he was not lying or messing with her. He was being completely honest.

"Bullshite." She finally said. "How?"

"I served in the Army back before the bombs fell, and because of this, Vault-Tec selected me a place in the nearby vault of where I was living. But, during the 'decontamination' they froze me. It wasn't to save humanity. No, it was just to see the effects of cryostasis on humans."

"So, you were a human popsicle for 200 years, all the while the world fell apart and became… this?" Cait couldn't believe this, yet she could tell he was telling the truth. After all, what would he gain from lying? And she had herd of how Vaults were actually just facilitates to experiment on the populace before the war.

Adam gave a nod.  
"Yeah, pretty much. I awoke around five months ago due to a system failure and my pod got released. Everyone else though was dead due to their life support giving out. I was the only survivor." Cait couldn't help but widen her eyes at this new information. Essentially living in this hell known as the world for five months and yet, the way he walked, it was as if he'd lived in the Commonwealth all his life. Then she realized something else,

"So is that why when we get into gunfights, you know all these tactics and walk and reload the way you do? Because of your time in the Army and everythin'? That was your 'old profession'?" Adam gave a chuckle.

"Yeah, pretty much. Sorry I kept such information from you. I just didn't think you'd believe me." Cait gave a laugh this time.

"Trust me, if you were anyone else, I'd be laughin' in their face and callin' 'em nothin' but a liar. But you, well, somehow I know you wouldn't lie about such a thing."

"Well, I'm glad you believe me. Honestly, you're the only person I've told." Cait couldn't help but feel shocked at this. But then again, who else would believe or listen to him. After all, most the people they meet are Raiders, and she doubted that they'd want to hear about such a thing. "And to be even more honest," Adam began, catching the redhead's gaze, which shifted from the fire. "It was nice to finally tell someone that. So, thank you, Cait." The Irishwoman widened her eyes a bit, surprised at the thanks and sincere words.

"Umm. Not a problem." Adam only nodded before he turned and pulled his pack towards him and used it as a make shift rest, his gaze now looking back up towards the stars.

As he did so, Cait watched, her own gaze going over his now relaxed body. And with each passing second, she found herself thinking of what had happened through the time they had been together. From the multiple firefights the two had seen, to the adventures and odd mission that they had completed. She never thought that she would see the things she's seen. And all the while, she had Adam's back like her contract stated. But, like she had gone over in her head just a few minutes ago, he seemed to always have hers. Even now as she thought about how enraged he got and what he did for her back at Fanueil Hall, and how he now makes sure she's not majorly harmed after every fight, it still and probably always will baffle her.

Still, it was only a matter of time before he went and left like everyone else… right?

"Adam?" She said suddenly and without thinking, catching the now known 200 year old man's attention.

"Hmm?" Cait only stared now, not knowing what to say. To Cait, the name had left her lips without any warning.

"Umm…" She looked away, trying to think of what to say before her green orbs looked back to Adam's own pale blue, and she didn't know what it was. Maybe it the emotions of concern that now seemed to always be present. Maybe it was how his tone seemed to always be filled with genuine care. Whatever it was, it pushed her on.

"I feel I need to talk to you about something…" Adam raised an eyebrow as he propped himself up on an elbow. "I'll be honest, after Tommy stuck me with you, I was expectin' to hate your guts. Not only because you agreed to pick up me contract, but because I was waitin' for you to order me around like hired help." She paused, taking a moment for her green orbs to look into the fire, gazing at its flames which licked at the air as she pulled her knees closer to her chest. "Now so far, you've been like a friend." She looked up with an embarrassed smirk. "Hell, you've been damn near _nice_ to me." Her gaze suddenly hardened. "Now I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but your kindness is startin' to make me wonder. If there's anything I learned at the Combat Zone, it's that nobody does things for other people without expectin' somethin' in return." Cait immediately regretted her words, as a look of anger formed in Adam's eyes as he narrowed them to the point of daggers. But he must have noticed the look of fear from the young Irishwoman as the emotion lessened along with his features relaxing.

He shifted to wear he now leaned on his pack but kept a knee propped up with an arm resting on it as he cleared his throat before saying,  
"Cait, please, do me a favor and do not compare me to such filth. And besides that, what exactly are you expecting in return?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Who knows? Doin' your laundry, takin' a bullet for you, haulin' your gear… what's the difference?" A bit of Cait's own anger began to rise, her tone now becoming sharper, "I don't think I'm getting' through to you!" She took a moment to stop, recomposing herself like Adam had a moment ago with a breath. "Let me explain what I mean, and then maybe you'll see where I'm comin' from…" She went silent again, the moments slowly passing by as her gaze went from the blackette to the fire, staring in the cracking wood.

She took a deep breath before saying,  
"I spent three years livin' at the Combat Zone. Smelled like puke and piss, but I called it home. I was makin' a few caps, had me own bed to sleep in and three hot meals a day." She paused again, only for a second before continuing, "Then the Raiders took over the place. You know that lot… they aren't exactly what you'd call the 'gentle type.' After they moved in, if you didn't keep lookin' over your shoulder, you were liable to get sucker punched and robbed… or worse. Didn't take me long to learn that I had to put my hard-earned caps to good use. Buyin' friends was essential to makin' life easier." She stopped, her gaze intensifying as it looked deep into the fire, as if it was something she had never seen before. Then, she looked up, staring into Adam's own, gaze still as intense. "So I guess I'm waitin' for you to hand me a bill, you know what I mean?" Adam only stared back, his own gaze now becoming just as intense as Caits, which began to cause the redhead to slightly squirm in her place.

Then he began to chuckle before going into full blown laughter. Cait only could stare at the response, a light shade of red beginning to take over her face.

 _The hell is he laughin' about?!_ She screamed in her mind. _This is how he reacts to this?!_ After a few moments, he calmed from the fit before looking into the fire just as she had been doing.

"Cait," He said, causing her to look up from the fire to him angrily. But he didn't meet her gaze for a few slow, silent seconds as he stared into the fire, a smile on his face, which only caused even more anger to well up inside her. Then he looked up, his own eyes soft, yet his tone had a firmness to it as he said, "You don't owe me, a single, fucking, thing. Okay?"

Cait didn't answer right away, instead she only stared daggers at the man. Still angry at how he had just reacted.  
"Forgive me if I'm havin' a hard time believin' that, considerin' the fact you just laughed right in me face at what I just told you."

"I'm sorry, Cait. But I feel it's kind of ridiculous you think I would expect such a thing." He straightened up, his gaze becoming a hint more intense. "Cait, you're my friend and I see and will treat you as such. Honestly, I couldn't care about your contract. Nothing but a piece of scrap paper to me."

"Tch." Cait spat, her rage only increasing with every word that the man spoke. "Oh yeah, prove it then." Adam sobered up to the words, his smile vanishing and eyes becoming hard.

"You really want me to?" He asked, tone now cold and serious, as Cait only nodded in response.

The man stared into her eyes, never breaking the gaze until a minute had passed. He turned, digging into the pack that he had been using before pulling out a familiar piece of paper. Cait's contract. She stared at it, eyes now wide at the paper before snapped from her trance by Adam's words, his voice cold and stony.

"Like I said," He then tossed it into the fire, causing it to ignite instantly as it swiftly turned to ash. "You're my friend, and I see and will treat you as such. Never think I am like that filth I killed at the Combat Zone. The day I become like them, is the day I put a bullet in myself." Cait didn't respond, only gawked in shock at what had just transpired before her. At how he so easily tossed what bound her to him, like it was nothing. Like it was the easiest decision he could ever make in his life.

 _Just who the hell is this guy?!_ Cait yelled in her mind as she lifted her gaze from the now gone piece of paper to Adam's pale blue orbs; which stared back just as intense. But, slowly they softened, and with it came a smile.

"Remember that." He said, referring back to him seeing her as a friend. "All right, Cait?" She didn't respond. She couldn't. She was still too dumbfounded at what had just occurred before her.

Then, she slowly began to realize the answer to her own question of who Adam was. He was, in all honesty, no lies, no bullshit, her friend. He wasn't like them like she had thought after all this time. He wasn't going to stab her in the back. He was _nothing_ like them.

Slowly the time passed by, seconds turned to a minute. A minute became five, then 10, then 20, and finally a half hour of pure silence, save for the cracking fire, had gone by. Neither had said a word to one another, both allowing the words they had spoken to sink into one another.

It wasn't until Adam moved to unroll both Cait's and his own sleeping bags, followed by laying down, his back to her, that she found her voice and said in a low squeak,  
"Adam? C-can I talk to you about somethin'? I know we just got done with that. It's just that, I feel I need to tell you somethin' else." Adam rolled so that he faced her again before sitting back up.

"Cait, like I've said, you can talk to me about anything at any time. You're my-"

"I'm your friend. I know. I know." Cait let out a breath, going silent again. She looked up, green orbs looking with Adam's. "Did you mean what you said? What you just did, that wasn't for show? You've meant _everythin'_ since the day we met? No bullshit?" Adam didn't hesitate.

"Yes. I meant it all." Cait nodded, taking in and processing the information.

"All right… All right… We've been on the road together for a while. But through all that crap, I noticed you've always been stickin' by me. You know, watchin' me back and makin' sure I don't do anythin' stupid. And after what just happened. What you just did for me. I think maybe it's time to tell you a little bit about who you're travelin' with." Adam let out a low sigh.

"Cait, like I said, you don't owe me a thing."

"That's where you're wrong. You're layin' everythin' on the line for me, I'm gonna do the same for you." She stopped, her eyes becoming cold and her tone that of hatred, "It all starts with two wastes of humanity I suppose you could call me parents. I'm convinced I was a mistake, because I can't remember a single moment that they treated me like their daughter. I was yelled at and beaten. Everythin' I did was wrong. Nothin' but a nuisance in their eyes. The whole time I was tellin' meself that they had to love me, even if it was just the tiniest bit, because they never kicked me out. Then me eighteenth birthday arrived, and I found out why they kept me around. They slapped a shock collar around me neck and sold me to slavers. They didn't even care enough about me to say goodbye. Eighteen years of sufferin' through that shite and all I was worth to them was a pocketful of caps." Adam didn't say anything, instead he only stared, his eyes having become devoid of any and all emotion.

Cait went to speak, trying to see if he was still paying attention, when she noticed the faint sound of tapping. She looked to see he was gently tapping his index and middle finger through his trousers against the knife he always had hidden inside it. Her gaze then went back to his pale blue eyes, and after a second of taking a deeper look, she could see something. Rage. Pure unadulterated rage. The same type that she had seen the first time he had back at Fanueil Hall. A sudden rush of fear filled her being, as that was the only time she had seen the emotion. Plus, she had passed out and hadn't been this close to him. But now, she was just a few feet away and she began to feel a type of aura coming from him. It was cold, with little to no compassion or empathy. It was like all of what made him human was gone, now replaced with only one purpose: to kill. He was like a Deathclaw or Super Mutant inside a human's body, but a hell of a lot smarter; and dare she say, lethal.

Cait felt paralyzed now, afraid that if she moved or even tried to speak he would unleash the rage having been built in his eyes and attack her. But it was when she looked a second time, having broken the eye contact to glance at his fingers again, that she saw his eyes had softened just a slight hint. Signifying he must have taken notice to the fact he was scaring her, just as before.

"Why… didn't you try to run away?" He asked, his words slow and deep. Cait looked at him as if he had just spoken to her in a different language. Then, with a slight shake of her head, she answered,

"I tried. Twice. The first time I did it, they locked me in a shed outside of the house we lived in." She paused, a look of pain forming upon her features as she continued. "The second time, they broke one of me legs." She watched as Adam suddenly stopped, his fingers now holding onto the hidden blade and squeezing it to the point his knuckles were white. She could also hear him breathing now. Long, deep and heavy breaths that were drawn out as he released them.

"I see…" He said, his teeth now grit as an ugly frown replaced the smile that she had grown so accustomed to. Cait suddenly regretted starting this. She wanted Adam to stop being angry. She wanted the happy, always making sure she was okay, Adam back. This one, the one that looked as though he was born only to do one thing, kill, terrified her. She hated it.

But, she pressed on, somehow knowing that he wouldn't allow this to stop now.  
"It would be easy to blame me charmin' personality on me parents. But they didn't make me this way, I did. I was with those slavers for five years. Roughest five of me goddamn life. The things they made me do… the way they used me for their amusement. It sickens me to my stomach even thinkin' about it. But I bided me time and learned to use their own methods against them. Stealin' a few caps out of a sleepin' man's pocket is a piece of cake… as long as you don't get greedy." Adam nodded, his rage still present and as strong as when it had first arrived, but his breathing had calmed and became easier.

He didn't say anything, instead only nodded as he went back to tapping his knife, finger tips slowly moving through the air.  
"It took every ounce of patience I had, but after five years I had finally pocketed enough to by me own way outta there. But instead of headin' off to try and repair the shambles of me life, I gave in to me rage and I headed home. You can imagine the look on me parents faces when I kicked open their door. What you can't imagine is what they looked like after… after I emptied me gun into them." These words caused a smile to form upon Adam's face. A smile, that honestly scared Cait, and couldn't help but somewhat sicken her.

It was the kind that belonged to someone who truly had no humanity. No empathy. Only one that wished to cause pain. Yet, Cait could also see in his eyes, that the Adam she liked. The one that cared for her and called her his friend was still there. After all, the rage in his eyes wasn't directed to her. No, it was towards the wastes of life that she once had called her parents. But even so, she couldn't stand to look at the expression and averted her eyes back to the fire.

After what seemed like an eternity, she heard Adam speak, causing her to glance up at him. His eyes had become much softer, the rage having diminished and was near gone. The smile, now a simple and saddened frown, replaced the evil and psychopathic one that had instilled nothing but fear within her earlier.

"You did what you had to do. And to me, what you did, was justice in my eyes."

"Was it really? Or was it just cold blooded murder? When I close me eyes, all I can see is their faces twisted with fear. And then me mind starts wanderin' and I start judgin' myself. And it's rippin' me the fuck apart. You think I inject myself with all that shite and drink myself drunk because I'm a 'tough Irish gal?' I do it so I can forget and move on with me miserable life.  
So there you are. The entire flawed package known as Cait, stripped bare for your perusal."

"Why is that you're judging yourself? You did no wrong." Cait stared, digesting the question before she spoke slow, with a misery in her tone.

"Me parents sold me in to slavery, but did they deserve to die for it? Yeah, I took some hard knocks as I was growin' up, but they fed me and kept me from glowin' with rads. This is the kind of crap that starts me mind wanderin' and drives me literally to drink. I guess I'm just waitin' to hear what you think of me now." Adam didn't answer right away, he only stared before letting out a light sigh and said with the same genuine smile that Cait had grown used to seeing every day. The same smile that told her that the Adam that scared her. The Adam she hated was no longer there.

"I'm proud of you, Cait. You endured that shit and you're here today. You didn't give up. And in my opinion, you stomped out two wastes of life from harming anyone else. That's what I think of you." Cait felt relief and happiness flood into her system as a smile bloomed upon her lips.

"I knew I was takin' a chance tellin' you all this, but I never expected you to say you were proud of me." She paused, her gaze shifting to the fire and stared into as she fought back a few tears, all the while hoping Adam didn't notice. "I… I think I needed to hear that from you." She looked back into Adam's pale blue eyes before finishing, "Thank you."

He chuckled, leaning against his pack as he said,  
"I'm always here for you, Cait." His smile then changed, though it was the same that always showed relief and care when he checked on her after a gunfight, this one seemed more… loving to the redhead. "There's nothing you could say that would ever change that." A faint look of shock filled Cait's features as she tried to grasp what she just heard.

"Oh! I… ummm, well… that's… that's not what I expected you to say. Sorry, I didn't realize you cared that much about me. And here I thought I was bein' stupid botherin' you with me problems. It feels good to know if I need you, you'll be there for me… and I'll always be there for you too." Adam only smiled, his eyes looking into Cait's own before he shifted so that he may rest against his pack, still using his sleeping bag as a cushion.

"Well," he suddenly said, catching the redhead's attention. "Since you told me that, I guess it's only right I tell you something else in return, huh?" Cait only stared, not knowing what to say. "So, what do you want to know?"

"Oh, umm… I guess…" She paused, thinking of what she could ask the man before a thought came to her mind. "What was it like back then?" Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Before the bombs?" The redhead nodded, a look of curiosity now filling her eyes. "Well, everything was peaceful mostly. I lived in a small suburb out to the…" He paused, looking at his Pip-Boy for a moment. "North west from here. Things were pretty nice back then, didn't have to worry about your head being taken off by a random round or baseball bat." He chuckled to himself as he now held his gaze onto the fire.

"Was fightin' any different back then?" The question caused Adam to snort, a strange cynical look in his eyes now.

"Cait, if there is something I learned throughout the years I've lived, it's that war never changes. Fighting. Violence. Combat. These things will always stay the same no matter how you slice and look at them. It's just how the world works." Cait nodded, taking in the words and processing them.

"Was there anything specific you fought for?" Adam looked at the redhead, thinking of how to answer before giving a sad smile.

"I've fought, bled and killed for many things. But, yes. I did fight for some things that were specific. For my country, for money and for myself. Sometimes it was easy. Other times though, even now in this wasteland and world of new, it's been one of the hardest things I've done. There are times I look back on the past and those I've ended and wonder if I should have tried something different. Maybe if I had, things would be better, or they'd be a lot worse." He paused, staring back into the fire's flames as they rose into the air. "I don't know, and I may never know. All I can do is hope the decisions I have made were good ones." Cait stared into Adam's pale blue orbs, taking in the emotions of doubt that clouded them.

Slowly, she got up and sat just a bit closer to him. Enough so that she could lay her hand on his. He glanced at it, then her before she said,  
"I don't care what you've done. The choices you made brought you to me. One of the first true friends I've ever had." She gave his hand a light squeeze, a way to reassure him that she spoke the truth of what she said.

Adam smiled at the redhead and returned the gesture as he said,  
"Thank you, Cait." The two became silent, but did not move farther away from each other. Instead they stared into the fire together, watching as the wood continued to burn and crack before them.

"Do you miss it?" Adam glanced up at Cait, the question bringing him back from the daze of silence.

"Honestly… yes. I do. I miss it quite a lot at times. How things used to be. Of those I called my friends." A sudden sadness began to fill Adam's pale blue orbs as he continued. "Of my family. All those I loved and cared for." Cait looked back to Adam, seeing the emotions that were prevalent in his eyes.

"Were Shaun and Nora part of your family?" This seemed to catch Nathan off guard for just a moment as his body tensed just slightly before it relaxed the next.

"What do you mean?" Adam asked in reply. "Shaun? Nora?" He raised an eyebrow. "I've never heard of them." Cait kept her gaze with Adam's own, watching as his emotions slowly changed from saddened to curious with just a hint of suspicion.

"Back at Fanueil Hall, I remember hearin' you mutter their names when I went up to make sure you were all right. I just thought that they must have been people you knew back before you were frozen." Adam only shook his head.

"No. Names don't sound familiar. Keep in mind, I was probably still coming down from my little freak out." Adam said with a chuckle.

' _Little' isn't what I'd call it._ Cait thought to herself as Adam glanced to his Pip-Boy.

"We should be heading to bed here. No telling what tomorrow holds, yeah?" Cait nodded with a smile as she stifled a yawn. Indeed it must be pretty late considering how high the moon was by now.

Slowly, she got up, letting go of Adam's hand. This caused a hint of disappointment to fill her being as she went to get into her own sleeping bag. But before she did, she went back over to Adam, who was bringing his pistol close to his side.

He looked up at the Irishwoman, and with a look of shock, embraced the hug that she gave him.  
"Thank you, Adam, again. Thank you for staying by me." Adam didn't respond at first. Instead he only smiled as he returned it, giving her a squeeze.

"No problem, Cait. Like I've always said, I'm here for you." The two released one another before laying down in their respective sleeping bags. The warm fabric already adding to the warmth of the fire that burned just as bright and flames that licked the air just as high as when we found the two companions.

And with both getting as comfortable as possible, both stared up at the star filled sky waiting for sleep to overtake them. And as it did, they fell into their own dreams. But for Cait, it was not that of her parents or of her years as a slave, or even of the Combat Zone. No, now it was that of happier times and thoughts, all thanks to a man that was over 200 years old.

 _What an odd life I live…_


End file.
